Camouflage Proposal

A size 2xl camouflage shirt, a video camera and a few good friends are all you need to set the perfect stage for a scenic West Virginian surprise proposal. Enter Anna, a clever girl I’ve known for a long while who blended in with the leaves to capture her friends’ special moment this past Sunday. She, along with some others, hid in the cold Appalachian mountains and secretly recorded Andy’s proposal to girlfriend Lindsay. When Lindsay said “Yes”, she and Andy were congratulated with hoots and yells from the surrounding trees and bushes. She was shocked, her soon-to-be husband was both relieved and triumphant because the plan actually worked, and almost simultaneously, Facebook World watched in awe as photos popped up from the event.

“So, how did you pull this thing off?” I asked Anna during a one-hour gabfest earlier this week. She brushed it off like it was nothing; having planned several weddings and parties for family and friends in the past, she’s a pro at this sort of thing. “Well, it all started when Andy called [my husband] J.” The leafy proposal was then put into motion, with very few minor bumps and near-reveals along the way – but it worked. “Andy carried the ring around with him for two weeks, because Lindsay’s so smart and would have found it,” Anna explained. With Andy’s Saturday night phone call, everyone knew they had to work fast and make the proposal happen before Lindsay caught wind of it. Anna and co. wasted zero time; the next day, Sunday, kicked off at 7:30am.

The proposal location was Honeycomb Rocks in Pocahontas County, just off the West Virginia Scenic Highway. With space for only two vehicles, the site was tricky to set up as a surprise proposal complete with video cameras and onlookers. One parking space belonged to Andy and his girlfriend, whom he convinced to ride up to the Scenic Highway with him for a nice Sunday drive because it was the only time he had off before heading back to work for the week. Anna temporarily switched her vehicle in on one from the car lot she works at through the week; she and her friends headed to the Scenic Highway bright and early so they could set up before Andy and Linds arrived. “I dressed in dark blue clothes, but the guys made me put on this huge camuoflage shirt – it was a size 2xl, so huge on me, but I had to blend in with the trees!” They positioned the camera and J marked the spot near the rocks where Andy was to stand to pop the question. And then… they waited for the couple’s arrival and the proposal.

I combed through several photos but found Anna’s Instagram (above) to tell the story perfectly. My favorite part? The baseball caps.